Checklist for introducing new users to the MPI-CBG Light Microscopy Facility

First Contact

• Send user link to New user project questions. Ask the user to send all relevant answers to lmf(at)mpi-cbg.de ideally before the first face to face meeting. (It might not make sense for every user to answer every single question).
• Arrange a personal meeting with the new user and one or more members of the lmf team: discussion about imaging project and agreement on the most suitable system(s) using info from new user questions.
• Point out main contact details: lmf-helpline phone 210-2345 or lmf(at)mpi-cbg.de (always write to team email, not to single persons!!) .
• Avoid situations where a new user books a system at short notice and expects to get an introduction all done in 1 or 2 hours with no prior meeting/discussion about their project.

Administration (no system time needed)

Estimated time: about 30 minutes

Booking Database

• General structure of database.
• Booking budgets, costs.
• How to book systems and assistance (combined and separately).
• How do blockings work. When and why might the LMF ask users to give up their slot. Make user be aware of and respect the student's system checks!
• How to use the "Problem" function.

Booking Rules And Responsibilities

• Delete and Cancel: the 24h rule.
• The SIFFY procedure: how to offer and take a free slot.
• At the end of each session, check booking database: last user / not the last user --> what are the responsibilities?
• Consequences for failing to switch off a system: extended booking + 15/30min assistant time

• AND: "END OF SESSION" means: data saved, sample removed, objectives cleaned, software closed ... system is free for the next user!!!

Safety and Waste

• LMF is an S1 area - no S2 GMOs allowed!
• Especially: No eating and drinking in LMF, exception: LMF office
• Laser safety
• Waste: General (no S1, no glass, no sharpies); S1 (only solid, take liquid back to home lab); Glass (yellow bins at systems are S1 glass waste); Sharpies (for sharpies only, are S1)

General

• Sign the user into the lmf-user mailing list

• Explain BioDIP Wiki!

• If not already done, find an appointment for the user at the system of choice with the responsible assistant and book the slot in the database!

Theoretical Background (might be possible without system time)

• Background to the techniques that will be used with the system, eg. contrasting techniques, fluorescence, beampath, pinhole, detector etc.

On The System

First Introduction

Usually WITHOUT own sample!!!

Estimated time: system dependent, but usually around 2hours

• Introduction to hardware: how to switch on/off.
• Introduction to software: how to properly acquire an image, z-stack, time series (it might sometimes not be possible to cover all of that in the 1st intro).
• Data handling: explain about original file formats and metadata; advantages/disadvantages of storing data on either hard drive or fileserver
• Data safety: Point out that the LMF holds no responsibility for data whatsoever!

Important: in order to keep the disk free for imaging - data stored on hard drives older than 1 month will be deleted on an irregular basis without warning.

• Safety regulations: laser safety, S1 safety, correct use of wastebins.
• How to clean objectives.

Follow Up Introduction

With own sample!!!

Estimated time: strongly project dependent, but 1-2 hours are usually a good estimate

• Recap contents of first intro
• Introduce user to things that couldn't be covered in the first session
• Help user to set up the system for their own imaging experiment.
• Stay with user until he/she feels save to use the system independently.
• Invite user to contact the lmf team about questions / problems / changes in their imaging projects at any time.